Asceticism is voluntary abstinence from various types of worldly pleasures adopted with the aim of spiritual advancement or religious goals.
Fasting can be view as asceticism as it is temporary abstinence from food. Indeed fasting is known as wide form of asceticism.
Religious Perspective:
Hinduism advocates fasting as intricate form of asceticism that is must for purification of body and soul. It is mentioned in several scriptures that fasting creats harmony and attunement with the Absolute by establishing a good relationship between the body and the soul. It is like training the body or disciplining the body for the higher goal of self-realization.
In Islam the month of Ramadan is the month of practice of asceticism. This fasting month is center for the followers of Islam. They consider it as very holy. It focuses on the cleansing of the mind and body. They believe they are trying to come closer to the Prophet through prayer, and are growing more compassionate by experiencing hunger and coming in contact with the suffering of the poor.
In Christanity several saints recommend asceticism through fasting. St. Jerome, whose proneness to austerity and asceticism, mentions about fasting in the letter written to Celantia:
“Be on your guard when you begun to mortify your body by abstinence and fasting, lest you imagine yourself to be perfect and a saint for perfection does not consist in this virtue. It is only a help; a disposition; a means through a fitting one, for the attainment of true perfection.”
Jainism observe fasting as the most common form of asceticism. They believe it as the means of purifying body and mind, reminding one to the Mahavir’s emphasis on asceticism and renunciation. In Jainism they observe more severe form of asceticism and fasting in form of Shantara. They emphasize that it is simply not enough when one stops eating while fasting, real fasting is that the person should also stop wanting to eat. Control over the mind is very important in this regard and without mind’s control they think that the fast is fruitless.
